Ahmedabad: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has filed a PIL in the Gujarat High Court, seeking the return of land leased out by the Jagannath temple trusts. The VHP opposes the leasing of the land to private developers and argues for its restoration to its original purpose.

Dharmendra Patel, a petitioner from the VHP alleges that the temple trusts leased the land parcels to private developers, including a Muslim builder, without obtaining permission from the charity commissioner. After Patel filed a complaint with the charity commissioner, an order was issued requiring the registration of all properties owned by the temple trusts. After the complaint the development permissions for the land parcels were also revoked, leading the developers to approach the HC three years ago to address their grievances. The HC began hearing their concerns on Tuesday.

Furthermore, the petitioner has accused the involved parties of evading stamp duty, totaling Rs 11 crore, which was initially reported to the Lokayukta. This matter has been included in the PIL as well. The HC is anticipated to schedule a hearing for the PIL in the near future. DeshGujarat